Paramount, the parent company of CBS, Nickelodeon and MTV, told its employees Tuesday that it was beginning a series of long-scheduled job cuts that would winnow its staff by about 15% in the United States.

The company said in an internal note that the cuts were necessitated by shifts in the entertainment industry.

The layoffs, which will affect thousands of employees, are the latest in a series of cutbacks by major media players. Warner Bros. Discovery, the parent of CNN, TNT and HBO, has slashed its staff routinely in recent years as it pays down billions in debt. Disney laid off more than 100 employees in its TV division last month.

Paramount said the sweeping cuts will largely be completed by the end of September. — The New York Times